Arsenal step up search for defensive cover after Emirates Cup defeat as Timber and Saliba sidelined

Arsenal have intensified their search for defensive reinforcements after losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday, with manager Mikel Arteta saying Jurriën Timber remains "weeks away" from a return and William Saliba sidelined.

Saliba suffered a back injury that worsened during the World Cup after problems that date back to last season, while Timber pulled out of the Netherlands squad on the eve of the tournament after failing to recover from a persistent groin problem that kept him out for most of the run-in last season. Arsenal's display against Dortmund featured several defensive mistakes and represented a second successive friendly defeat; Arteta declined to give a precise timetable for Saliba’s comeback, saying it would take "some time to heal".

Asked when Timber might be available, Arteta said: "No, I cannot be very precise with that," and added: "Jurriën is progressing really well. He’s on the pitch, he’s doing quite a lot right now, but it’s still weeks away. I cannot tell you how much. William Saliba is in rest mode at the moment for two weeks. He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it’s going to take some time to heal. We know that. And as soon as we have more news, we can inform you."

Pressed on how the club will cope without Saliba, Arteta said: "We have experienced that in the past, unfortunately. And when he’s been available, he’s hit home and the stats are incredible. So we know that we lost a massive player, the same with Jurriën."

Arsenal had a bid for Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa rejected earlier this summer and are expected to return with a fresh offer; Konsa can also operate at right-back and Villa value him at £60m. With less than two years remaining on Konsa’s contract, the club are unwilling to meet that valuation for the 28-year-old.

The club have also shown interest in Tottenham’s Cristian Romero, but the pursuit is described as extremely unlikely because Spurs are reluctant to sell to their north London rivals. Against Dortmund, Arteta selected Cristhian Mosquera to partner Gabriel Magalhães in central defence.

Arteta said the squad must improve before next week’s Community Shield meeting with Manchester City and did not rule out further additions, saying: "That's what we're trying to do. It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that." He added: "We conceded some poor goals today in the way we competed, especially. But that's a very collective responsibility. So we need to improve with the players that we have. And we want to improve, for sure, we want that."

Arsenal now head into the Community Shield against Manchester City next week with uncertainty over the availability of both Saliba and Timber and with the club actively pursuing defensive reinforcements ahead of that fixture.